Category: Z-View

“Secret Agent” (1936) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring John Gielgud, Madeline Carroll, Robert Young, & Peter Lorre / Z-View

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Secret Agent (1936)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Alma Reville, Ian Hay, Jesse Lasky Jr. based on the story by W. Somerset Maugham and the play by Campbell Dixon

Stars: John Gielgud, Madeline Carroll, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, Sebastian Cabot, Michael Redgrave, Michael Rennie.

Tagline: Dead Women Tell No Tales Was The Motto of This Charming Lady Killer!

The Plot…

British Captain Edgar Brodie (Gielgud) is recruited for a secret mission to to identify and eliminate a German agent.  Brodie is given a fake identity as Richard Ashenden.  He is also given a “wife” named Elsa to assist with the mission.  Ashenden and Elsa are teamed with a foreign agent (Lorre) called “The General” (also known as “the hairless Mexican – although he isn’t a general, hairless or a Mexican).

As Ashenden and Elsa move forward with the mission, they will encounter double agents, secret messages, and lines that they are unwilling to cross that The General will without hesitation.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Seeing John Gielgud and Robert Young looking so, uh, young is a hoot.  Especially since I knew them from Arthur and Marcus Welby, MD.

Sebastian Cabot, Michael Redgrave and Michael Rennie appear in uncredited roles.

Another Alfred Hitchcock winner.

Be aware that the copyright lapsed and there are many bootleg and low quality versions on the market.

Secret Agent (1936) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Stephen King’s “Rose Red” starring Nancy Travis / Z-View

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Rose Red (2002)

Director:  Craig R. Baxley

Screenplay: Stephen King

Stars: Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, Kimberly J. Brown, David Dukes, Judith Ivey, Matt Ross, Julian Sands, Kevin Tighe, Julia Campbell, Emily Deschanel and Stephen King.

Tagline: If Some Houses Are Born Bad, This One Was Created In Hell.

The Plot…

Dr. Joyce Reardon (Travis), a university psychology professor with an interest in the supernatural, has put together a diverse team of psychics that will stay in a famous mansion that legend says is haunted.  The mansion, named Rose Red, got it’s reputation because of 23 people who died or disappeared while there.  The team will discover the legend is true…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m not a huge fan of haunted house movies.  If you are, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy Rose Red more than I did.

Rose Red (2002) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Black Dragons” starring Bela Lugosi & Clayton Moore / Z-View

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Black Dragons (1942)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay: Robert Kehoe, Harvey Gates

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Clayton Moore and Keye Luke

Tagline: See him pit his terror against Japan’s treacherous agents in the U.S.A.!

The Plot…

Prior to World War II Japan and Germany secretly killed and replaced six top US business leaders.  They did this by murdering the men and replacing them with Japanese agents who had facelifts performed by a Nazi doctor.  The Japanese agents could destroy the USA’s war efforts and provide information to assist the Axis.  When one of the spies is killed, Detective Dick Martin (Moore) is assigned to the case and discovers the evil plan.  It is up to Detective Martin and an unknown ally to bring down the foreign agents.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Filming on Black Dragons began about one and one half months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor making it one of the first movie responses.

If you buy the fact that the plastic surgery made the Japanese spies look exactly like the men they replaced, you still have to believe that they had perfect voice matches and knew each man’s personal history (including secrets) so they could fool friends and family.

It’s cool to see The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) paired with Dracula (Bela Lugosi).

Keye Luke who played Charlie Chan’s son in several films (and went on to a long Hollywood career) has a small role as one of the agents that Bela Lugosi operates on.

Black Dragons (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Bad City” (2022) / Z-View

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Bad City (2022)

Director:  Kensuke Sonomura

Screenplay:  Hitoshi Ozawa

Stars: Hitoshi Ozawa, Katsuya

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Kaiko City is overrun with crooked cops, corrupt politicians and street gangs.  A small task force, led by Torada (Ozawa) a former police captain framed for murder, is put together to take down the crime bosses by any means necessary.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Hitoshi Ozawa has charisma.  This is the first film I’ve seen him in, but he has an older, tough guy aura that made Charles Bronson popular.  Katsuya reminded me a bit of Don Lee.  (That’s a good thing.)  I don’t know the name of the main villain that used knives, but he was excellent.

If you enjoy action/crime flicks, you should enjoy Bad City.

Bad City (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Project Legion” (2022) starring Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone / Z-View

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Project Legion (2022)

Director:  Lance Kawas

Screenplay:  Lance Kawas, John Sullivan story by Lance Kawas, Michael Pizzimenti, James Raptoplous

Stars: Donald Cerrone, Brande Roderick, Dino Dos Santos

Tagline: Locking your door won’t keep them out.

The Plot…

A former soldier (Cerrone) locks himself inside his apartment as the world we know appears to be under attack.  Strange creatures attempt to find access to the apartment.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I tapped out at 24 minutes. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has had fights that lasted longer.

Project Legion (2022) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Einstein and the Bomb” (2024) / Z-View

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Einstein and the Bomb (2024)

Director:  Anthony Philipson

Stars: Aidan McArdle

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Einstein and the Bomb is a docudrama that uses Einstein’s actual words (from his writings and speeches) to explore his life from leaving Germany as Hitler came into power to later in life and his concerns over the atomic bomb.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Einstein and the Bomb isn’t a straight up documentary and it isn’t a drama.  It’s an odd combination.  There were many opportunities had the filmmakers focused on Einstein’s new theories and how he came to discover them, or Einstein’s decision to flee Germany under Nazi power or his life after he became a celebrity.  The decision to emphasize his concerns with atomic weapons doesn’t come into play until late in the film and for me, wasn’t strong enough to warrant the movie’s title.

Still, it was interesting to hear Einstein’s words and his thoughts.

Einstein and the Bomb (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hard Target” (1993) directed by John Woo, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo / Z-View

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Hard Target (1993)

Director:  John Woo

Screenplay:  Chuck Pfarrer

Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo, Willie C. Carpenter, Kasi Lemmons, Robert Pavlovich, Ted Raimi, Chuck Pfarrer and Wilford Brimley

Tagline: Don’t hunt what you can’t kill.

The Plot…

Natasha Binder (Butler) has come to New Orleans to find her estranged father, who is a homeless vet.  When several thugs attempt to mug Natasha, Chance Boudreaux (Van Damme) comes to her rescue.  Natasha then hires Boudreaux to assist her in her quest.

What neither Natasha nor Boudreaux know is that Natasha’s father was murdered by rich hunters who paid Emil Fouchon (Henriksen) for the opportunity to track and kill a human.  When Fouchon learns that Boudreaux and Natasha are getting close to discovering him, he brings in a team to take them out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There are some very over the top moments (Van Damme grabs a snake then hits it in the head to knock it out, he stands on a motorcycle as it roars into a truck launching Van Damme over the crash, etc.) and lots of explosions, fire, slow motion that John Woo makes work. (Or maybe I just accept the them because I like the rest of the movie so much).

Universal brought in Sam Raimi to be on set to assist John Woo.  Their concern was it was his first Hollywood film and he didn’t speak English.  Raimi appears in a cameo.

Kurt Russell was considered at one point for the role that ultimately went to JCVD.

In the scene where Lance Henriksen’s coat catches fire, it wasn’t supposed to, but did.  Henriksen never broke character and the accident appears in the final film.

JCVD was the star of the film and played the part off-screen.  He had script control and definite ideas of how scenes should be shot. According to Lance Henriksen it started as a JCVD vehicle, but as filming continued it became clear it was a John Woo film.

Arnold Vosloo has never been better.

Hard Target (1993) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Family Stallone”: Season 2 (2024) / Z-View

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The Family Stallone: Season 2 (2024)

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, Sophia Rose Stallone, Sistine Rose Stallone, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Frank Stallone, Jon Lovitz, Dolph, Henry Winkler, Frank Grillo and Pope Francis

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The Family Stallone gives us a peek at the life of, you guessed it, the Stallone family: Sly, Jennifer, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Season 2 features ten episodes…

S2.E1 ∙ Say Goodbye to Hollywood: Now that they are empty-nesters, Sly & Jen decide to move from California to Florida.  Sly puts Sistine and Sophia through a self-defense mini-boot camp.

S2.E2 ∙ My Fair Louis: Scarlet’s boyfriend, Louis, comes for a visit.  Sophia feels Jen is pressuring her to settle down.

S2.E3 ∙ Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Sophia encourages Sistine to start dating.  Jen sets Frank up with a date closer to his age.

S2.E4 ∙ Back Aches and Blind Dates: Sly has to have another surgery to repair an injury caused by a movie stunt. Sistine goes on a blind date podcast.

S2.E5 ∙ Uncle Frank is Coming to Town: Frank heads to New York City to spend some quality time with Sistine and Sophia (in their apartment).

S2.E6 ∙ Keep Punching: The Family Stallone heads to Philadelphia where Sly is honored on Rocky Day. (I can be seen in three crowd scenes if you don’t blink.)

S2.E7 ∙ A Stallone Family Reunion: The Family Stallone journey to the small town in Italy where Sly’s grandfather lived before immigrating to the US.  They meet family members for the first time in a huge gathering.

S2.E8 ∙ Citizen Sly: Sly is honored by the town where his grandfather used to live.

S2,E9 ∙ When in Rome: Love is in the air!

S2,E10 ∙ That’s Amore: The Stallone Family meets the Pope.  Sly and the family honor Jen.

I’m not a fan of most reality shows.  Truth be told if this wasn’t about Sly and his family, my interest level would be zero,  Frank deserves his own reality show.  It would be a hoot.  I’d love a chance to tour Frank’s house — he has some many cool collectibles.

Bring on Season 3!

The Family Stallone: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“True Detective: Night Country” (2024) starring Jodie Foster & Kali Reis / Z-View

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True Detective: Night Country (2024)

Director:  Issa López (eps. 1- 6)

Teleplays: Issa López (eps. 1 – 2, 6); Issa López and Alan Page Arriaga (ep.3); Namsi Khan and Chris Mundy and Issa López (ep. 4); Katrina Albright & Wenonah Wilms and Chris Mundy & Issa López (ep. 5)

Stars: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, John Hawkes, John Albasiny.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Ennis, Alaska is about to enter their season of night.  Police Chief Liz Danvers (Foster) is called to the Tsalal Research Station. The eight researchers working at the station have disappeared. Alaskan State trooper Evangeline Navarro (Reis) also arrives on scene.  Danvers and Navarro have an uneasy alliance due to something from their past.  The researchers’ bodies are found, away from the station, naked and frozen together.  A woman’s severed tongue is located nearby.  Despite their differences, Danvers and Navarro are determined to resolve the mystery.  No matter the cost.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The first episode sets up an interesting mystery with a horror aspect.  The great cast and remote location add to the production.  Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a series with so many hard to like characters.  I would have preferred a tighter focus on the mystery of how/why the researchers were killed.  The fifth and sixth episodes (along with the first) were my favorites.

True Detective: Night Country (2024) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Terror By Night” (1946) starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce / Z-View

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Terror by Night (1946)

Director:  Roy William Neill

Screenplay:  Frank Gruber based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Frederick Worlock, Billy Bevan, Harry Cording and Renee Godfrey

Tagline: MURDER… at 90 Miles an Hour!

The Plot…

Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Bruce) are hired to travel by train with Lady Margaret Carstairs and her son Roland.  Holmes is there to provide security since Lady Carstairs has the the famous Star of Rhodesia diamond in her possession.  When her son is murdered and the diamond disappears, it is up to Holmes to find the killer… and the diamond.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Terror by Night‘s copyright wasn’t renewed.  This has allowed bootleg and inferior copies to appear on the market.  Buyers should beware.

This is the 13th of 14th Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone.

Terror by Night (1946) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Blood for Dust” starring Scoot McNairy, Josh Lucas & Kit Harington – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Deal me in!

If crime pays, then consider it payday. But beware, the currency may just be blood. Watch #ScootMcNairy #KitHarrington and @JoshLucas try to cash in #BloodForDust, full of twists and turns. In select theaters and digital April 19.
Learn More: www.bloodfordustmovie.com

TITLE: BLOOD FOR DUST
IN THEATERS AND ON DIGITAL: April 19, 2024
DIRECTOR: Rod Blackhurst
WRITER: David Ebeltoft
CAST: Scoot McNairy, Nora Zehetne, Ethan Suplee, Amber Rose Mason, Stephen Dorff, Josh Lucas and Kit Harington
SYNOPSIS: Cliff (Scoot McNairy), a former salesman with a checkered past, is pulled back into a life of crime after losing his job. Desperate to keep his family afloat, he’s lured by his old colleague, Ricky (Kit Harington), into trafficking drugs and guns for a cartel. As Cliff delves deeper, his once straight-laced life turns into a high-stakes game of survival in this gripping thriller hailed as “Breaking Bad meets Fargo” (Variety). Also starring Josh Lucas and Stephen Dorff.
RUN TIME: 100 Minutes
RATING: Rated R for violence, suicide, language, some sexual material/nudity and drug use.
GENRE: Action, Thriller
DISTRIBUTOR: The Avenue

“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1939) starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce / Z-View

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The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Director:  Sidney Lanfield

Screenplay:  Ernest Pascal based on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill and John Carradine

Tagline: SPINE-CHILLING! The adventures of Sherlock Holmes on the ghostly moor!

The Plot…

The great detective Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called to the Baskerville Estate.  The Baskervilles seemed to be cursed.  Over the years many family members have died under unusual circumstances.  The estate is said to be prowled by a huge supernatural hound.  When Sir Charles Baskerville’s corpse was found, there was a giant pawprint near the body.  Now Sir Henry Baskerville has been warned he will be next to die.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Hound of the Baskervilles was Basil Rathbone’s first outing as Sherlock Holmes.  20th Century Fox was so unsure of his star power Richard Greene was given top billing!  Rathbone as Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson proved so popular that they not only returned for 13 more Sherlock Holmes films, they also appeared together on the radio in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) rates 3 of 5 stars.

The Savage Sword of Conan #1 (2024) / Z-View

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Savage Sword of Conan #1 is out and it is a winner.

It features five covers to choose from.  I selected the one with art by Gerardo Zaffino (shown above).  Other cover-featured artists include Joe Jusko (two versions), Mac von Fafner and Douglas Klauba.

Roy Thomas provides an introduction, Savage Tales of Savage Swords.
Sacrifice in the Sand is a prose tale by Jim Zub.
Solomon Kane, An Essay by Jeffrey Shanks explores the history and influences of Solomon Kane.

Pinups included are: Conan by Roberto De La Torre, Belit b Rebeca Puebla, Conan and the Road Kings by Gerado Zaffino with a poem by Robert E. Howard and Solomon Kane by Howard Chaykin.

The issue features a full-length Conan story, Conan and the Dragon Horde by John Arcudi (writer) and Max von Fafner (artist).  Conan has agreed to lead an army of “mercenaries and hangers-on who have a greater thirst for gold than for combat.”  Their goal is to reclaim a city for a deposed king.  The kicker is the city rests on a gold mine and all warriors will share equally in the spoils.  Expect the unexpected, giant warrior twins, prehistoric beasts, crosses and double-crosses, a beautiful warrior woman and plenty of Conan doing what Conan does.  I wasn’t familiar with von Fafner’s art prior to this, but he is an artist I’ll watch for.

The second story features Solomon Kane in Master of the Hunt, Part One by writer/artist Patrick Zircher.  Solomon Kane becomes involved in a search for a missing man and his son.  Fear abounds that an ancient beast is on the prowl.  Most folks know Zircher as an accomplished artist, but since he’s added writer to his resume the title needs to become accomplished writer/artist.  I want to give kudos to Zircher for making his background characters interesting.  They may not have dialogue, but you can tell what they’re thinking from body language and facial expressions.  I look forward to Part Two.

Savage Sword of Conan #1 (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo” (1937) starring Warner Oland / Z-View

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Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937)

Director:  Eugene Forde

Screenplay:  Charles Belden. Jerome Cady story by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan

Stars: Warner Oland, Keye Luke, Virginia Field and Sidney Blackmer

Tagline: Triple murder for high stakes! A new high in mystery excitement! And laughs, too!

The Plot…

Charlie Chan (Oland) and his son Lee (Luke) are in Monte Carlo.  When their cab comes upon a murder scene, they become involved in the investigation.  A messenger has been killed and the $200,000 in bonds he was delivering is missing.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This was Warner Oland’s 16th and final outing as Charlie Chan.  It was also Oland’s last film.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Wil” (2023) / Z-View

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Wil (2023)

Director:  Tim Mielants

Screenplay:  Carl Joos, Tim Mielants, Jeroen Olyslaegers

Stars: Stef Aerts, Annelore Crollet

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

1942.  World War rages.  Nazis occupy Belgium.  With two weeks training, Wilfried Wils (Aerts) and other young police officers in Antwerp are the buffer between Nazi occupation and citizens. Personal survival will test their morals and their willingness to follow Nazi orders in order to survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wil is an excellent drama that explores the lines that some are willing, or not to cross.

Wil (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.